


To The Fox Who Sits Next To Me

by rainforestpaw



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: F/M, Finnick is a lil bitch, Multi, Social Cliques, Underage Drinking & Drug Use, Underage in general, country!judy, high school!au, social media usage
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2020-02-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:33:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22819309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainforestpaw/pseuds/rainforestpaw
Summary: When two new students transfer in from Zootopia, it's all anyone can talk about. And Judy never thought in a million years that she'd befriend a pair of delinquents or start something with one of them either.highschool!au
Relationships: Judy Hopps/Nick Wilde
Comments: 2
Kudos: 40





	To The Fox Who Sits Next To Me

**Author's Note:**

> ive read A LOT of wildehopps fics on ao3, like A LOT and ive begun to develop a taste for certain tropes, characteristics, etc. 
> 
> here's some warnings. ready?
> 
> -judy doesnt know what she wants to do when she grows up, like any other teenager. so her moral compass isn't obnoxiously strong!
> 
> -judy is a lot more country because... shes legit from the country and 0 accent?? yea ok
> 
> -nick & finnick are BIGGER delinquents than portrayed in the movie. they curse, do drugs and a ton of illegal shit. we love to see it.

When Nick was in the fifth grade, he won himself a little raffle to go to a summer camp. They had been on a grocery shopping trip, his mother distracted by a produce stall and a blueberry sale (a dangerous combination). Nick had been by her side one moment and the next, she was looking down at a form that Nick had just about shoved in her face. In front of the grocery store a street down, there was a sweet platypus sitting behind a table labeled “Canidae Youths & Families Organization” engaged in conversation with the Wilde’s downstairs neighbor. They had balloons and candies, and lots of different pamphlets about free services and programs available to lower income families. It had taken Nick’s mother 10 minutes of pure convincing before the form was filled out and put away.

They had almost forgotten about that raffle until their dinner, almost a week later, was interrupted with a phone call.

And Nick was glad his father talked her into letting him go. It had been one of his favorite childhood memories. It was in the midnight forest national park, a tucked away plot of over 2,000 acres a few hours out of Zootopia proper. It was actually the reason why Nick had wanted to join the Junior Ranger Scouts right after, all that nature and peace for miles talks to the inner mammal, particularly his. He can remember the night sky gazing, the way the fireflies lit up the entire forest and his first non-Vixen crush.

Nick, just barely 10 and chubby, had never particularly been interested in girls. He thought they were bossy and annoying, and they always thought he was either too rough or too big of a troublemaker.

She was a year younger than him but far more adventurous than any other girl he met. She had a southern accent that Nick teased her about. She played with a roughness that instantly made her one of the boys, and she never whined or complained like the other girls. Sometimes, Nick would catch her playing with other girls, older and younger, and being so soft and _different_ , it left him up at night, confused.

He could remember the way she was dressed up in an overall dress, a lilac shirt underneath with floral print. She had been playing with her cabin mates by the creek, talking amongst each other. He remembered, embarrassingly, that one of the other girls noticed him and sent them into giggles. Giggles directed at him. And Nick hated attention from girls at this age, hated that it meant he was in the spotlight and shyly waited for Jude (Jude the dude, as they called her) to hop over.

It was the end of their first week there out of two, and she kissed his cheek, held his hand and they talked. Funny how a little crush could change his perspective on girls. And that set the stage of their last week together, just having fun and talking. They were glued to the hip, and Jude was so nice and funny, that Nick realized later, after being picked up by his parents, he wouldn’t have another friendship like this.

Jude would send him letters, and he’d tell his mother all about that rabbit girl and what funny thing she wrote. She was way smarter than him, writing without a single mistake while Nick would be forced to open a dictionary to spellcheck his letters because it embarrassed him. It lasted only a letter or two until the scout incident happened and Nick changed. His parents watched him grow small and quiet until one day he couldn’t. He lashed out, kicking and screaming and being so small and angry. Every little thing upset him, words of encouragement felt like mockery and it suffocated him. He was 11 when he got picked up by the police, and he had done a lot of bad shit before and after that point, and got his parents to move out to the country because of it.

Actually, not true. Nick’s father was a tailor and his mother worked alongside him. They were the best choice for any respectable pred out there. They had no issues with anyone, kept to themselves. After Nick began to act out and the police came around more, and the never ending bills and stress, suddenly Mr. Wilde couldn’t keep his hands from trembling and no matter how hard he tried, why wouldn’t they stop trembling?

The doctor said it was from nerves, and another from stress. Another doctor said it might be an early on-set of something or the other. Nick never knew, just what he overheard his parents when he _was_ home. It didn’t take long for the store to close down. Been in their family for 3 generations now and they had some funds for them to rely back on, just for a bit.

His mother did a lot of research alone, refreshed her memory and was forced to find a job to support her family. She had studied data analytics in college, which was rare for foxes to have any sort of formal education. And while not everyone trusted a fox, the Wildes found out that some agencies were all-preds and that helped out.

Nick was 16 when they moved to Bunny Burrow. Nick had literally escaped that dinner conversation to go die in his room when he got told the news, because not only was Bunny Burrow the absolute middle-of-fucking-no-where, it meant he had to start over. He had to create himself from the ground up, just like he had here, and until he did that, it meant he was going to be bored.

“Yo,”

Nick’s ears flickered over to the window of his den. He was chest down, face hidden in a pillow. Finnick was climbing on in.

“I’m screwed, Fin.”

“It ain’t that bad.” He growled. Finnick was Nick’s adopted brother. He had actually been his aunt’s kid until she died from cancer. He had been around the foster system for a while until Finnick had met Nick through a mutual friend. They had been sitting in a circle in a random park when Nick realized who he was. They had been 12 and 13, and Nick’s parents were able to get custody. Which wasn’t hard as no one ever wanted to adopt a fox.

Finnick was a year older than Nick, really rough around the edges and a worse piece of shit. It didn’t matter what Fin did and what cop brought him home, the system did not want Fin back.

It made for good company because Nick and Fin were in the thick of it together. They would both disappear and come back all sorts of banged up.

Nick peeked at his older yet shorter brother. He knew that Fin would have everyone running around his fingers, befriending all the shady country folks and have the prey running from him in no time.

He went back to moping. “If you weren’t coming, I’d run away for sure. It’s literally the middle of fucking no where.”

“Chill,” Finnick said to him. “It might be fun, maybe you might finally get some.”

Nick let out the loudest groan and threw his pillow straight to Fin’s face.

The move lasted 3 days and they went from living in a basement level apartment to one of the biggest houses he’d ever been in legally. It was a two story home overlooking the fields of Bunnyburrow. Their land wasn’t much in comparison to the acres of farmland and historically, the manor had been owned by canids too. It was just a sheer lack of everything that gave Nick the worse case of cabin fever. He would count down from 10 and then went on minding his business. And socially, it wasn’t that all different from the city. He did not lash out at any of the preys (there was a lot), and knew which preds to avoid (the ones who think snitching was okay) and had integrated himself with a group that Fin became a part of.

In fact, when the Wilde’s walked through the gates of Woodlocke High, Nick could already taste the trouble they’d get into.

However, the best part of the country was the ability to be alone.

Both Nick and Finnick figured out quickly (after discovering the quietest way of sneaking out their new house) that being out at night meant nobody could bother them or ask them why they weren’t home. Nick, in particular, learned he could walk as far as he wanted, met up with all kinds of mammals and sneak back. And no cop took him for being suspicious or no one to yell obscenities at him. None.

And Nick liked that.

It took them only a week to start having a reputation at school. They moved in the middle of the semester and learned they had to meet up at the local library to catch the bus. Which didn’t last long and their parents gave in, getting them a car to share.

In a school of over 1,000 mammals, Fin and Nick were labeled as part of the canids, which they were all mostly friends, and then labeled a rebel. Nick skipped the classes he could, the ones with the teachers that didn’t care if you didn’t return from the bathroom or marked you present if anyone said ‘present’. He usually only went to his math and physics class, coasted along and loved being a harmless flirt. There was no uniform, which Fin absolutely loved, they ate lunch off campus usually and sometimes came to class high.

Same shit, different school.

Today, he sat with Fin on the flower field, the random large patch of green grass littered with picnic tables and benches, completely accessible to any student on campus. They shared a picnic table. Nick was doing Fin’s course work in exchange for an essay. They’ve breezed through almost 2 months already and the semester was coming to an end. Being as lazy as they were, they really needed to do some last minute homework, extra credit and make up work. Nick was actually doing pretty well in his classes and the essay was to secure that “B” in English. Fin was a better writer by far, and Nick was a junior in a college level math class. Fin was a senior in a sophomore level math class. Not his best subject obviously.

Fin was almost done, watching the cheerleaders across the field practicing. They were mostly preys, except for a few. Finnick had his eyes on a swift fox on the shorter side. He hummed, completely distracted. Nick decided not to say anything as he was crunching numbers in his head. It went on for 10 minutes until Fin wrote for a few, and they traded papers. Nick had owed Fin a big favor so he handed over a thick stack of paper in exchange for his measly 3 page essay. Nick put his essay away, deciding on if to type it up tonight when a bunny came waltzing up to their table.

It was known that no one just walked up to the Wilde brothers, if you weren’t also a canid. They were dismissive, sneaky and sarcastic. Students watched as she made a bee line towards the foxes, the awkward second of quiet that dissolved back into the loud buzz of conversation. Most of the conversations were about her. She hadn’t even blinked at the uproar and walked with a confidence that Nick felt compelled to give her the coolest stare as Fin was staring at his cheerleader.

“What’s up, lost your carrot?” Fin asked, not even looking at her.

Her nose wrinkled up. “Ha ha. Which one of y’all is Nicholas?”

“Oooh,” Fin said lowly, turning to his brother. “Watch out, she might bite.” Nick kept his icy stare. She knew who Nick was, they shared a desk in physics class, sat next to one another in the back. On the first day, she hadn’t even hesitated when she looked down at his half finished assignment and asked him so many questions, Nick walked out of that class still thinking about numbers. He flashed her a smile that was all teeth, resting his chin in his hand. “Ouch.” He looked her up and down. “I thought we had something special.”

She stood up tall and didn’t waver as they stared at each other. Nick exhaled dramatically. “You get everything you want, huh?”

“Oh… Well, not everythin',” He watched a nervous little smile appear on her face, smallest hint of a southern accent in her voice. Nick felt his heart stutter and tried his best to keep his cool, keeping up the pretense he was not interested. She was in a club t-shirt and his favorite pair of jeans, the ones that hugged her ass in all the right ways. It was the only reason he usually went to class. He could see the creep of a blush on her ears as he kept checking her out.

 _Different, she’s never even flinched._ Nick thought to himself as he stood up. Finnick waved his hand dismissively and went back to oogling.

“Girls don’t like it when you stare at them like creeps,” Nick said backhandedly, fishing some keys out of his pocket and flinging it over. Fin didn’t respond but did catch the keys, not even a glance back at them. Nick looked at the rabbit, jerked his head as they left Fin at the table.

“It’s Nick, you know that, Fluff. Nicholas to my mom so it’s _Nick_.”

Her ears flushed a bright red and walked alongside him. “I know. I’m only passing physics 'cause you let me manhandle you.” Nick exhaled a surprised laugh, not expecting for her to confess that and even more surprised at the lack of ‘Don’t call me Fluff!’ line she always threw back at him. “Your brother just grates me! Anyways, do you know a rabbit called Rocket? He likes gambling a lot, if that rings a bell?”

“About ye high, nervous twitch and tries way too hard?”

He heard her sigh before she let out a soft “yes”. They walked next to one another, Nick leading her through the hallways when he thought over her question. Students stared as they passed by and Judy tried her best to ignore the gossip.

Rocket was young and easily fooled, and an even worse sore loser. Nick hummed, thinking the answer out in his head. They made it together to the school office. It seemed to momentarily kick her out of her own thoughts. He put some extra credit work into his teachers' mailboxes. Nick watched her put a form in her guidance counselor’s box.

“Fluff, when is that fourth test anyways?” They bickered about over due dates and assignments as they left together, past the music building and to the back, where students came to jump the fence to skip class. By this time, most students had already jumped the fence. He tucked them away into a corner, behind some trees with some heavy foliage.

“Rocket,” He started. “Plays pretty often with us, Fluff. We played craps by the abandoned silo last week, the one _not_ on McGregor’s land.”

“He lost $20.”

“Actually, $50.”

Judy’s mouth popped open in surprise. “Sweet cheese and crackers. And do you still have the $50?”

He hummed, crossing his arms as he leaned back on the wall of the building. His head was tilted up in thought. She noted he wore a faded t-shirt and dark jeans. It was these quiet, soft moments that they shared that made Judy swear she’s met Nick before.

When Judy first saw Nick, they had made eye contact in the middle of the hallway. He was mid conversation, canids all around him and one of the most popular girls, a coyote named Amoxtl, hanging over his arm. Judy had goosebumps running down her body as he kept staring her down, eyes lazily following her. Out of all the mammals he could’ve stared at and it was her! He wasn’t her first non-lupine crush but he _was_ her first predator crush (not counting the little fling at summer camp she had once).

The butterflies in her stomach never stopped fluttering ever since. Nick was hotter than the summer sun and so unbelievably unavailable. At least until he took the seat next to her in physics. She felt hot and cold all over, the searing heat always present on her face and ears. Judy didn’t even know what took over her when she saw him flying through the assignment she didn’t understand a lick of, because she couldn’t focus on the lesson. He radiated heat and the room was cold because it sat two floors underground. It was infuriating that he was hot (physically and literally) _and_ smart.

Here Judy was, breaking her brain while he had been texting through the stupid lesson and now he was breezing through it. All of Judy’s ancestors gave her the confidence to scoot herself closer, place a paw on his wrist and say, “How did you get that answer? Go back, show me.”

And ever since then, Nick always took his time to show her how to get the answer and Judy always caught him looking over at her like a puzzle piece whenever they walked by in the hallways. It made her feel giddy, made her want to run up to him, run her hands on his fur and bury her face in his chest. Like an itch she couldn’t satisfy. Her sisters said that she was crushing on him something fierce and not to worry her little head, it’ll pass. Everyone crushes on an asshole at one point or another.

She pushed the thoughts out and looked over to some students jumping the fence. “There’s 15 minutes to class.”

Nick decided on his first question. “He’s your brother or boyfriend?”

“Ew! My brother. Listen, he’s not the smartest rabbit but those $50 weren’t his. Is there any way I can get that money back? Maybe owe you a favor?” She winced at her word vomit. She did not want to owe him a favor. Beyond their arrangement in physics, Judy mostly knew Nick through rumors.

Nick watched her for a moment. She took off her messenger bag from her shoulder. She felt too antsy, as if ready to run and the butterflies that were permanent residents of her stomach weren’t helping.

“What’s your name?”

She blinked at him, “Uhm, Judy Hopps.”

“Nah, I know that.” He smiled and Judy’s mouth went dry. “I mean your full name. With the little country flair.”

Judy groaned. There was a moment of hesitation and then, “Judith Laverne Hopps.”

Nick’s smile looked satisfactory. “Okay, fluff. Whose $50 did he steal?”

“He stole the money from one of his litter mates. Ryan always works extra hours at the stall so I know it’s not farfetched that Rocket stole from him. We don’t want my parents to get involved, especially since I think it’s just a phase.”

“Playing craps or stealing?” He smirked. Judy felt dizzy for a moment. He looked so familiar…

“No, rebelling. We all go through it, and his is getting worse. An intervention is already planned for his gambling addiction but I’d like to get the money back.”

Their conversation was broken by a squeal. They watched a couple of pigs struggle as they tried to climb the fence.

Nick swished his tail back and forth, and Judy looked down at her watch again. “I don’t have much on me right now, I bet Fin has at least $30 on him though.”

“I reckon your brother don’t like me much so I’d rather owe you, if it’s all the same.” She peeked over at him shyly. “Rumors got it he’s got a bit of a mean streak.”

Nick stared at her for a beat too long and the air turned awkward. “And what do they say about me?”

“Oh!” She gasped, his tail curled around her legs. “Uhm, well, that you’re much nicer and way more uhm, manipulative. I’m sorry! Sorry, that sounded different in my head. Sorry, not manipulative-”

“Relax, Fluff. Manipulative, huh? What about, ‘liar’, ‘good for nothing’? Hell, I even got ‘devil’s spawn’ yesterday. What do you think, that I’m just a-”

“Stop,” She said, paw on his wrist. Nick hadn’t realized he’d lean in, tail curled around her as he boxed her against the wall. His face right over hers. He knew that the heat of her paw around his wrist would burn for days just like his first day in physics.

The loud shrill ring of the bell meant they were both late to class. Judy made no move and neither did Nick. They kept eye contact, unbroken until Judy peered down at his mouth and then back to him. So Nick did what any dumb teenage boy would do and leaned down to kiss her.

They pressed their mouths together, still as they could be. The heat radiating off his body made her shift herself towards him, paw on his chest. His own paw made its way around her waist, burning an imprint. The sheer heat made her gasp, letting Nick in. His tongue ran over her lips and Nick was not Judy’s first kiss but he teased like no other. Her tongue met his and he tasted earthy, like spices and dirt all melted into one. She pressed her chest flushed against him, paw now caressing his neck. She swore she felt the vibration of a soft moan from him and when Nick pulled back right after, maybe because he was embarrassed or to maybe apologize or even reject her, Judy panicked and pulled him back. Their kisses were wet and sloppy, and they slowly began to learn all the right angles for their different sized muzzles. He kissed with a finesse that made the butterflies in her stomach feel like buzzing.

The only reason they stopped making out, hiding in the trees was because Judy’s phone wouldn’t stop buzzing. It was an endless buzz that annoyed Nick so badly except Judy was beginning to rut against him and he was momentarily out of commission. When her phone started to buzz again, he picked her phone from her back pocket and shoved it in her paws.

By this point, Nick was sitting down on the grass and Judy on top of him. It was probably his cabin fever mixed with his dry spell that got him in this mess. He didn’t know why she’d even kiss him back and not that he was complaining, he could already tell that her musk was not going to leave him anytime soon. It was a heavy scent of lust and lavenders. He stared at her, paw on her ass, and watched the dazed look on her face while she read her text messages.

Her screen was filled with unread text messages. At least one group chat was extremely active and muted, not the culprit. So Judy scrolled until she found the right contact apparently. Nick could read the name “Juniper” upside down.

>>> **WHERE ARE YOU?**

>>> **Kevin told Jennifer who told Mckelyn who told Juan who told Mabel who told me that you went to talk to the Wilde boys at lunch!!!!**

 **  
**> >> **O M GOODNESSSS tell me you didnt leave with the tall red one ??? ??**

>>> **Then you don’t come to class?**

>>> **WHERE ARE YOU???????????**

“That’s a lot of texts,” Nick said huskily, voice deep and rich. “It’s my closest sister,” She confessed, looked at him with a curious glean in her eyes and Judy kissed him again. Their kissing began wetter, the rutting increased and heat between them hotter. Judy moaned into his mouth and Nick felt light headed. This time the only reason they stopped was being the bell rang again. The final bell of the school day. Judy flinched in realization while Nick petted her with his tail.

“Chill,” He said to her, the echo of Fin’s life motto. “I’ll take you home, nobody has to watch you do a walk of shame with a fox.” He stretched as Judy unstuck herself from him, a brief look of confusion on her face as she sat on the grass next to him. The cold dirt helped Judy shake the heat coiling deep within her. Judy’s phone buzzed a few more times before she officially muted it.

>>> **JUDITH LAVERNE ANSWER ME!!!**

>> _hi_

>>> **THATS ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF??**

>> _not gonna believe what i just did_

 _  
_> >> **wait!!!!!**

>>> **WHAT DOES THAT MEAN????**

Judy looked back up. Nick’s fur was all messed up and his mouth wasn’t doing so well either. _I did that to him,_ She thought and felt herself twitch in anticipation. He was standing up, briefly checking his phone, already had his backpack on and her messenger bag in his paw.

Judy took his paw when he offered it and let him lead her over the fence, through a small dense patch of forest and out the other at a long stretch of road. The walk served to cool them both down. On the side of the road was a silver car, Fin outside smoking. His mouth dropped wide open and he almost dropped his blunt. “You did not,”

“I did, and you shut up. We’re dropping her off.” Nick caught a pair of keys in the air from Fin. The car beeped as he unlocked it.

“Also, I need $50 bucks.” He opened his paw to him, letting Fin complain while popping a crisp bill in his paw. He gave it to Judy wordlessly and told Fin to sit in the backseat, open a window and pray that he don’t reek up the car _or else_.

“Whatever,” Fin said but Judy could see the happiness in his eyes. They obviously weren’t allowed to smoke inside the car so Judy realized Nick was letting him do it as a ‘thank you’ for the money.

Silently, Judy sat shotgun as Nick hopped in. He put on his sunglasses, some shiny aviators and gave her a quick smile. He started the car and they went racing down the road. She looked through back at her texts.

>> _i went to ask about ryan’s money_

>>> **Oh… tbh kind of forgot about that Judy**

>> _juniper that was the whole point & i dont have the _cojones _to talk to the wilde boys otherwise_

_> >>_ **Don’t you have class with the tall one?? And sit next to him?????????????**

>> _ur point? plus hes different in class_

  
>>> **Also watch your language muchacha!!!**

>> _well apparently i had the_ cojones _to make out with him_

 _  
_> >> **NO**

>>> **FUCKING**

>>> **WAY**

It was only until Judy began to recognize where they were by the landscape that she asked, “Do you even have your license?”

Nick was mid-puff from the blunt that was passed to him. He laughed loudly, had the windows down, music blaring loud enough that the bass tickled. He glanced over to her quickly and Judy’s heart skipped a beat. “Yes,” And went back to his blunt.

>> _language. dont tell anyone ok_

>>> **Oh**

>>> **OH OK HAHA**

>> _seriously?? U TWEETED ABOUT IT???_

>> _fru fru and ben are already blowing up the twitter groupchat_

>>> **Just on my k-pop account I promise**

Judy let out a groan in frustration that caught Fin’s attention. She found out that Fin was _the_ bad influence. Nick and Fin had been talking over the music about things Judy knew for a fact were illegal. She was tuning it out. The less she knew, the better. It didn’t take much for Fin to move his attention to Judy. It was like this that Judy figured how their operation ran.

Nick stayed quiet, usually watching the way his brother would play the situation and then add on, like an afterthought. They both liked playing with her food and Judy was beginning to feel like she was on a platter.

>>> **So are you gonna come home reeking like fox ooorrrr… … … … ???**

_> >fox and weed i think_

_> >hes dropping_ _me off with his brother, they’ve been smoking_

>>> **Is that safe??**

>> _would they even listen to me_

>>> **Falling into peer pressure!**

_> >but what is he going to do? crash into the corn crossing the street with their little corn children?_

>> _is the sheriff going to chase us? i dont think the gods could make him run_

>>> **LMAOOO Kind of mean but**

>>> **Still not safe**

Fin could pick and prod all he wanted just to see if he could get a reaction out of you. It was like if he knew how he could make you angry, then he knew what he was messing with. And Judy didn’t know what to do with that information so she let him pick and prod. He began first with her t-shirt, asking her why she’s running with some delinquents when her shirt was from debate & justice club. Judy’s ears went pink. “Not mine, my older sister’s. She wants to be a lawyer, I think.”

>>> **Just informed the fam friends are dropping you off. You’re welcome!!!**

>>> **Also didn’t tell our rents sooooooo!!! They’re not home lol.. You’re welcome times 2!!!!!!**

Fin muttered something that sounded like “carrot lawyer”. Judy chose to ignore that. “We talkin' older litter mate or older sister?” Nick asked. Fin looked at his brother curiously.

“Older sister, she’s a senior and two litters older than me.”

Finnick gave Judy the same curious look. “Damn, how many siblings you got, sis?”

Judy ran the numbers in her head. “You talkin' 'bout the ones my parents had, right? 'Cause we add in all the cousins too,”

“Christ.” Nick yelped.

“The ones that came outta your momma.” Fin deadpanned in a shitty impression of a country accent.

“Ew,” Judy wrinkled her nose but giggled. “Like 200-ish, I think we’re on 242 honestly.”

Nick and Fin looked at her in complete astonishment. They were just 4 foxes in their den. They couldn’t imagine another 238 foxes with them! Fin began to ask her about her sisters and then her brothers, learning about how Rocket stole from Ryan and how they were having an intervention.

Nick wasn’t particularly paying attention, thinking about his make out sesh with Judy when he realized they were gushing over similar artists together. He was pleased that Fin approved her some.

“Nick’s a fucking poser, that ain’t even his shirt. It’s mine.”

“What’s your favorite album?”

Their conversation continued until the song on the stereo changed, something bass heavy and gang-related. Judy put the volume up and Nick had to suffer through both Fin and Judy belting lyrics. They were racing down a paved two-way road, skirting out the forest their high school was nestled into.

When the dense canopy of trees cleared up, Nick had passed her the blunt without a second thought. Judy’s soft paws took the lit cigarillo. She stared at it for a moment before Nick plucked it out her hand and into Fin’s. Nick had his typical shit-eating grin. “Sorry, Carrots-”

“HA!” Judy heard Fin say and then a sharp inhale. She raised a brow at Nick’s apology.

“Force of habit. Gotta keep the rotation going,”

Judy looked forward as they raced down a curve and over a hill to where the land began to flatten out completely. It was how Judy knew they were officially back into Bunny Burrow proper. Nick threw out their finished stub, Fin already complaining about the damn wind not letting him light shit.

Judy anxiously fiddled with her phone before deciding to look at her Twitter. The group chat labeled “(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ 𝘎𝘢𝘻𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦 𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘛𝘰𝘱 𝘔𝘦 ♥” was the first one.

_@OMGoodness: if judy can get a man any of us can 🥴_

_@karotjuice: ha ha. try weed y/n_

_@OMGoodness: she lives!!!_

_@GiantDonutsss_: Only if_ _you’re not being pressured ._

_@GiantDonutsss_: I vote yes . Can’t believe you are growing up ! 😭_

_@GiantDonutsss_: Don’t let anyone pressure you ! !_

_@OMGoodness: if you dont spill rn_

_@karotjuice: ill let yall know l8r_

_@OMGoodness: what if i vote no_

_@karotjuice: fru has more cents than u do so ill go with what she says_

_@OMGoodness: cents_

Judy looked up from her phone. She spotted the silos _not_ on McGregor’s land. She could see the outline of mammals standing by the silos. “Y’all play craps there?”

“Yer,” Fin said. Judy could see his eyes were bloodshot. The musk of fox was strong and the smell of weed was very faint. “Just a few times 'cause country mammals love cheating.”

“And drinking!” Nick added on. Judy’s eldest brothers loved making moonshine in the bathrooms that were least used. Judy’s favorite bathroom often was taken over by them until she finally kicked them out. Long baths was Judy’s favorite way of relaxing. “Is it easier out here to do…?”

“Way easier!” They both laughed.

Nick had taken them past the McGregor’s silos and slowed down to go over a stretch of bridge. The river was full from rainfall. It hadn’t rain in Bunny Burrow in over a week, so the rain must’ve come from Podunk. On the bridge were three sheep fishing.

“Isn’t that McGregor?” Judy asked as the foxes whipped their head to her and then out the window. She realized they didn’t even know who the McGregor’s were. And their synchronized reaction made her laugh hard, her paws on her chest and stomach to get herself to calm down. “How the fuck are we suppose to know he’s a fucking sheep?” Fin asked, holding in a laugh. It only made Judy laugh harder and then both Nick and Finnick couldn’t hold in theirs. The car only went further down a mile before Nick had to park the car on the side of the road because he couldn’t breathe.

It took them a whole 10 minutes to calm down. Judy was basking in the pre-Autumnal sun while Fin was on the phone. She had been enjoying the warmth of the sun and Nick’s tail swishing in a pattern that she hadn’t even realized. Judy could tell it was a woman on the line and then got a surprise when she heard him say ‘mom’. There solved that mystery.

Nick’s tail trailed over her leg. Judy held in her shudder and peeked over at him. “Where do you live anyways?”

“You guys are staying in the manor right?”

Nick’s tail swished before it tucked itself back to him. “Yup,” He turned on the car and only took them down to a crossroads, car sitting at one of the few stop signs in all of Bunny Burrow. “Drive like you’re going home.”

Nick drove way more passively as they made the final stretch home. Fin had grown quiet and Judy realized he had curled up to take a nap. It was weird to see all that anger curled up and happily snoozing away. Judy couldn’t tell what Nick was thinking as he had his face all guarded up, especially with those sunglasses.

When they got closer to the Wilde’s home, a tall and proud building, Judy instructed him to make a left. They cut through a small patch of trees that lined a divide between the land the Wilde’s now owned and over to the next. They drove past some empty fields, another bridge and finally onto the Hopps' land.

The fields looked endless, stretching on for probably miles. The Hopps did not own the most land in all of Bunny Burrow but they were up there. Their silos were kept closer to the main house which was well kept to the back. Nick could see the house was a tall rabbit shaped home that looked more decoration than functional. Once the house grew in size the closer they got, Judy placed her paw on his arm. “It’s okay, drop me off here. I’ll walk the rest and spare y’all the Hopps' welcome this time.”

Judy went to open the door when Nick’s hand curled over her waist, pulling her towards him. She turned to face him and felt the press of his mouth against hers. Judy tilted her head the way she discovered earlier and opened her mouth slightly. Nick took in the permission and they were glued to one another, the kiss heady. He tasted like himself plus the bitter flower of weed. Judy felt light headed when he pulled back, sure that the slightly dazed look on him was mirrored on her face.

“See you tomorrow.” His voice was deep and breathless. She didn’t trust her own voice so she nodded and slipped out the car. Her skin throbbed where his paw had touched her and she thanked the Gods she had a walk to calm her down.

**Author's Note:**

> im on twitter: @rainforestpaw
> 
> i think im going to write 4-5 chapters in total.


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